Please join Senator Bob Hasegawa, Representative Zack Hudgins and me at our 11th district town hall meeting this Saturday, February 17, from 10:30 am to noon at the King County Office of Emergency Management: 3511 NE 2nd St, Renton.

We want to give you an update on the current legislative session, and we also want to hear what’s on your mind, so be sure to bring your questions and concerns.

We have programs in place to help low-income families, like the College Bound Scholarship created by the Legislature in 2007, which has made it possible for many kids to get a higher education.

However, there are still two main problems with the program: eligibility is determined only in junior high, and it excludes students whose families make slightly more than what the law defines as low-income, which keeps college out of reach for these struggling families when a little help could go a long way.

I believe we can and must do better for Washington families, so I sponsored a bill that fixes both problems. It expands College Bound Scholarship eligibility for students from seventh all the way to tenth grade, and it guarantees some financial help for students whose families make “too much” to be considered low-income, yet not enough to afford full college tuition.

House Bill 1512 passed the House on February 7th with a 54-44 vote.

Youth Voter Registration

Voting is one of the privileges we have as citizens of this great nation. It is the only way we can send people, who share our ideals and values, to represent us in local, state and federal governments.  As voters, we are the deciding factor on issues that can help or hinder our lives and our communities.  Yet, despite it being such a powerful tool, it’s not a very popular one. In the last presidential election, only about half of the entire eligible population cast their vote.

While some people don’t vote out of apathy, many simply don’t know how. For instance, there is a lack of information for many students about voter registration, but if they could get the information at an earlier age, they’d be better prepared to vote when they turn 18 years old.

I sponsored House Bill 1513 to allow 16 and 17 year olds to register to vote instead of waiting until they turn 18. My bill, which passed the House earlier today on a 52-46 vote, presents an opportunity to increase voter turnout while providing safeguards to ensure that future voters aren’t added to the voter database until they are 18 years old. Read this press release to learn more about this bill.

The biggest predictor of whether someone will vote is whether they are registered. Preregistration of 16 and 17 year olds will make youth more likely to vote, which will push new perspectives in elections.